


Five times Dinah calls Laurel 'baby' and the one time Laurel finally does it back

by AvaHasAClosetMurderBoard



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Green Arrow and the Canaries (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Relationship, F/F, Light Angst, Light Smut, episode tags, i still can't tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:41:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23173342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvaHasAClosetMurderBoard/pseuds/AvaHasAClosetMurderBoard
Summary: 'Siren struggles the second the cold metal touches her skin and Dinah stills her movements, hands still on the collar. “Stay still, baby,” she sneers out, “wouldn’t want to leave a bruise on that neck of yours.”'The five times that Dinah calls Laurel 'baby' as their relationship progresses and shifts, and the one time Laurel finally does it back.
Relationships: Dinah Drake & Earth-2 Laurel Lance, Dinah Drake/Earth-2 Laurel Lance
Comments: 3
Kudos: 112





	Five times Dinah calls Laurel 'baby' and the one time Laurel finally does it back

**Author's Note:**

> Fic number 100 in the tag! *Throws confetti* 
> 
> A massive thank you to @WardenRoot for being the beta of this mess and for cheering me on when I was having issues writing the light smut present in this fic :'D 
> 
> As a side note and in light of what's going on right now, please stay safe and take care of each other ♥

**1\. (6x13)**

Dinah takes all the pleasure in the world in being the one who gets to handcuff  _ her. _ She takes her time, ignoring the way  _ Black Siren  _ lets out a hiss each time the metal bites into her wrists when Dinah’s a little less gentle than she should. But really, what did this woman expect after all she’s done -  _ after what she’d done _ to Dinah. From the corner of her eye, she notices Quentin watching them carefully. He’s been hovering like a hawk ever since the others had left them alone, and it’s clear as day that he’s not happy with this little arrangement of having Dinah being the one making sure his daughter-not-daughter doesn’t escape. 

Once she’s happy that the handcuffs are properly in place, Dinah quickly reaches for the power dampening collar, her lips twitching in amusement when Siren frowns the second her eyes zero in on it. Dinah reaches for Siren’s neck and Quentin immediately stands up from the chair, his hand no doubt reaching for the gun against his hip, and Dinah rolls her eyes instinctively at the response. 

If she wanted to snap Siren’s neck, she would have done so already.

Siren struggles the second the cold metal touches her skin and Dinah stills her movements, hands still on the collar. “Stay still,  _ baby, _ ” she sneers out, “wouldn’t want to leave a bruise on that neck of yours.”

The glare she gets in response is everything. 

**2\. (7x18)**

It’s not hard to figure out where Black Siren is going to be hitting next to access the DA files. She’s leaving easily recognizable patterns in her wake, as if she’s not even bothered with the possibility of getting caught; as if she  _ knows _ that Dinah’s not just going to show up with a full squad and attempt to stop her. And the truth is that she wouldn't, not with one  _ Felicity Smoak  _ constantly reminding her of all the good Laurel’s done for the city every time Dinah turns a corner.

It still pisses her off to no end - the audacity of this absolutely infuriating woman in leaving behind a trail of breadcrumbs for Dinah to easily find and follow, like Siren is  _ daring  _ her to come and find her regardless, and stupidly enough, that’s exactly what Dinah does. 

The alley is shrouded in darkness, making it easy for her to lean against the brick wall right next to the back door of a small cyber cafe without being seen. The uncharacteristic chill of the night bites against her exposed skin, and Dinah starts wondering if it wouldn’t have been better to do this in more casual clothes - that is until she remembers she’s supposed to be hunting Laurel  _ in the first place _ instead of talking to her in a shady part of town in the middle of the night. 

The door swings open and Black Siren steps out in all her glory, the smirk on her face well evident even in the low light that filters through the doorway. She takes a few steps and adjusts her suit, and Dinah watches her curiously for the few precious seconds it takes for the door to slam shut and shroud the alley in darkness once again. Then, she waits until the sound of Siren’s heels begin echoing through the night - waits until Siren’s a safe distance away from where Dinah’s standing, just in case.

“Laurel,” she calls out and she knows the other woman heard her when she freezes a few feet away. “We need to talk.”

Siren turns around with a flourish, and even though she can’t really see her face, Dinah knows her eyes are narrowed. “There’s nothing to talk about,  _ Black Canary. _ ” She says the last words as if she’s trying to insult. “And don’t call me that.”

“It’s your name.”

“Just because  _ it is  _ doesn’t mean  _ you  _ get to use it.” Siren takes a few calculated steps towards where Dinah’s still leaning against the wall. “Also, if you came to lecture me, you’re wasting your time. Felicity already tried and as you can see… It didn’t work.”

Dinah steps out from the shadows, bo staff held tight in her right hand. She sizes Siren up and takes a step towards her, but no more than that. It’s safer to keep her distance. “I was just wondering why  _ Laurel Lance  _ of all people would allow someone to incriminate her.”

A bitter laugh escapes Siren. “Oh so now you suddenly believe that I didn’t do it? Funny. But a little too late now, don’t you think?”

“It’s not too late, Laurel-” Dinah takes a step forward again without thinking- “just come with me and we’ll fix it.”

“I already told you to stop calling me that.” She sneers. “My name is  _ Black Siren _ .”

It’s Dinah’s turn to laugh. “So let me get this straight - someone incriminates you and you revert back to _ that _ ?” She faintly gestures in Siren's general direction and shakes her head. “I expected better from you,  _ babe. _ ”

She barely manages to dodge the rusted metal that comes tumbling down after Siren lets out a sonic scream at her words, and when she looks back again to where Siren had been standing, she finds her gone. 

  
  
  


**3\. (7x22)**

Dinah has never felt this much alive ever since she’d lost her cry. 

Battling back-to-back with Laurel brings back that familiar rush of adrenaline pulsing through her veins and the fire that had always burned inside her every single time she put on the mask. It’s exhilarating and freeing and it makes her realize all over again that despite everything, she’s still her - she's still the  _ Black Canary _ . Behind her she hears Laurel grunt and let out cry after cry, and Dinah pushes herself to keep up with her - they’re completely surrounded after having acted as bait for Rene to slip undetected to where the bomb is, and in hindsight that may have not been their best move. The members of the Ninth Circle are well trained and absolutely ruthless in their attacks, and it’s no surprise that halfway through it her bo staff ends up splitting in two after a well placed blow. 

But they have to hold on, they have to buy Rene enough time to disarm the bomb with Felicity’s assistance, and so she pushes back twice as hard, even when her muscles begin to burn with overexertion. She knows Laurel is doing the exact same thing, and it’s impossible not to catch the tales of fatigue in her face when they switch positions in this surprisingly well choreographed dance they’ve been performing right from the start. Dinah ducks the second Laurel twists around to let out a cry and Laurel dodges to her left or her right each time Dinah pushes her bo staff to block an incoming stray throwing knife, and it truly feels like they’ve done this so many times before, even if it’s the first time they’re on the field like this. 

“They keep coming,” Laurel lets out after knocking yet another man to the ground, “they better take care of that bomb  _ fast  _ so we can get the hell out of here.”

“Agreed. I don’t know about you but I’m running out of juice here.”

Laurel laughs. “Come on,  _ Black Canary _ , that’s really all you got?”

The corners of her lips twitch upwards and she feels the familiar teasing remark dancing on the tip of her tongue. "Not a chance,  _ baby. _ "

Laurel growls then, no doubt at the word choice. "I would tell you to go to hell, but I feel like we're there already."

It's Dinah's turn to laugh now - the word has slowly grown to be a familiar thing between them, and even if Dinah no longer calls her that out of spite, it still never fails to get Laurel pretty riled up. 

She finds it too amusing.

A flash of something suddenly catches her eye and that's when she notices a shadow figure with a bow and arrow aimed at where Laurel’s standing. The next few seconds pass by in what feels like slow motion, with Dinah downing the man she’s fighting with a well placed kick to his chest, dropping her split bo staff, and turning around as fast as humanly possible. Laurel has just managed to push against three enemies with her cry when Dinah’s body makes full contact with hers, knocking both of them to the floor just as the explosive arrow waltzes past where Laurel’s head had been not seconds ago. It hits the adjacent wall instead with a loud  _ boom _ , and Dinah closes her eyes against the smoke, dust and debris flying from the impact.

It takes her a few moments to open her eyes again, and when she does, the first thing she sees is a familiar pair of green orbs peering curiously at her. Their faces are much closer than she had anticipated they’d be, and Dinah has no idea how she feels about the proximity not being completely unwelcome. She’s also suddenly hyper aware of the heartbeat against her own and the small puffs of air that ghost across her lips every time Laurel takes a breath, and it’s impossible to miss this sort of gravitational pull that nearly has Dinah close the distance between them the longer they gaze at each other.

Dinah doesn’t miss the way Laurel’s eyes seem to flicker down to her lips for a split second, before there's a cocky smile on Laurel’s lips. “You could have taken me out to dinner first if you're that desperate to get into my pants, Drake.”

  
  


**4\. (8x04)**

They’ve kissed before.

Little pecks on cheeks that soon had turned into tentative kisses, moving up to more chaste ones stolen before and after the heat of battle. They’ve become comfortable enough with soft touches and holding hands when no one is looking, and more than once Dinah had rested her hand on Laurel’s knee during a particularly tough team meeting, to ground her. They've also slept next to one another on Dinah’s bed, but never ventured further than a few kisses and the occasional stray hand slipping underneath the hem of a shirt to caress the skin there.

Anything more than that always felt like it would cross some sort of invisible line that neither of them was too sure who had drawn in the first place.

It starts to feel constricting as time passes and both of them become more bold with their kisses and their touches, like they’re trying to bend this line out of shape without daring to make it to the other side - or even erasing it completely. But Laurel has lost her earth, has lost what little family she had left on it, and Dinah has seen the dark shadows flashing in her features and the moisture hiding behind her eyes when she thinks no one is looking. 

And so Dinah reaches out for her, reaches across the deep end to pull Laurel back into her arms - and her life - and Laurel comes all too willingly, like she’d been longing for Dinah to do just that since the moment she’d returned. 

She's well aware that Laurel is not the same woman as before. She has changed more than just her hairstyle and wardrobe since the last time Dinah has seen her and it shows in the way her hands grip just a tad too tight and her kisses are far less gentle and more urgent than they’ve ever been. Dinah knows why, knows all too well the feeling of craving warmth and the closeness of another body, knows Laurel is just trying to ground herself to the  _ now  _ \- so when her hands begin roaming higher and lower than they've ever ventured on Dinah’s body, she doesn't stop them. 

Laurel starts out all teeth and bite, but the moment Dinah's fingers touch where Laurel needs them the most, she grows incredibly soft underneath her. Her hands go from exploring to gripping the shirt Dinah’s still somehow wearing and her eyes close, lips slightly parted. There's a few noises that escape Laurel when Dinah’s fingers move lower, but she has decided to draw this out for as long as she can, so the touch is nothing but gentle and teasing. 

"Please, Dinah," Laurel nearly begs, licking her lips which have gone dry. "I need you."

Dinah shifts closer and kisses her just as one of her digits push further, right into welcoming heat, and ends up swallowing the moan that escapes Laurel’s lips at the action. Dinah's still incredibly slow and gentle in her touch, and she breaks the kiss so she can watch Laurel’s face as she eases another finger inside her. 

The next minutes are spent much the same, with Dinah still keeping a torturing slow pace while peppering Laurel’s face and neck with kisses, and Laurel doesn't seem to mind. There will be time later for more rough touches and the sure battle for dominance that will follow, but for now this is what they both need, what Laurel really needs - to be reminded that there's still one person she loves here and that she's not going anywhere.

Things only take a more urgent turn when Dinah pushes a little deeper and the small noises that had been escaping Laurel’s lips before shift into moans. It's only then that Dinah decides it's time to  _ finally  _ increase the pace, watching in awe as the body underneath her tenses and writhes at her touch, and it doesn't take much longer after for the first signs that Laurel  _ is close _ to show. But she's holding herself back, that much is evident, and Dinah really doesn't want her to.

She leans closer again, this time so she can whisper in Laurel's ear. "Don't fight it," she says, more as a command than a request. Laurel gasps. "I want you to come for me,  _ baby. _ "

The response is immediate.

Laurel falls apart, with Dinah's name on her lips as she does, and Dinah’s incredibly gentle as she eases her through the aftershocks that follow. Only when the body underneath her slumps down does she carefully remove her fingers, eyes attentively watching out for any sign of discomfort caused by the action. Laurel doesn't as much as stir and Dinah just busies herself wiping her fingers clean on the sheet. When Dinah's gaze returns to Laurel, she finds her peering at her through her eyelashes, and there's an unmissable softness to her features. 

Her smile is gentle and so genuinely happy that Dinah’s heart nearly melts at the sight, and she leans down to kiss this incredible woman for all she's worth. Laurel lets out a small laugh against her lips and her arms snake around Dinah’s torso, and she comes down willingly when Laurel pulls her towards her. 

The kiss doesn't last as long as Dinah had expected it to, and the next thing she knows, she's laying on her back, with Laurel on top of her. She had somehow managed to roll them over, and now she's looking down at Dinah with a playful smile and a dangerous glint in her eyes that has Dinah shivering at the sudden change of demeanour.

Laurel pins both of Dinah’s wrists down above her head and leans down to whisper in her ear. "Your turn, songbird."

  
  


**5\. (Post 8x09)**

Dinah is absolutely  _ livid  _ when they get back to the apartment, after their last mission nearly goes south for all the worst reasons. Behind her, Mia is supporting an injured Laurel, who had thrown herself in front of a bullet to protect Dinah, because of course  _ her girlfriend  _ would do just that. She knows it just grazed her and that she's more sore than anything, but after seeing Laurel getting up again to help fight some goons instead of staying put like Dinah had instructed her to, all the worry had been replaced by boiling anger.

She hasn't said a word ever since they'd left the warehouse, despite multiple attempts by both Laurel and Mia to get her to talk, but Dinah is too afraid to say anything she doesn't mean to in front of Oliver’s daughter, especially regarding her involvement with a certain  _ someone _ . Their ‘dirty little secret’ is something she would prefer to keep under wraps for the time being, because despite all the kissing and all the sex, the words 'relationship' and 'girlfriend' are brand new to their dynamics, and she's sure they're both still getting used to it.

The hiss that escapes Laurel's lips when Mia eases her down on the couch doesn't go unnoticed by Dinah, who unconsciously quickens her steps around the apartment to gather the medical supplies needed. When she comes back to the living room, she finds Mia awkwardly hovering close to Laurel, like she's unsure on what to do, and Dinah contemplates just telling her to go home.

Laurel ends up beating her to the punch. "Don't you have a date tonight?" she asks, voice visibly strained. "Wouldn't want you to be late on my account."

Mia frowns down at Laurel. "I do but I would rather make sure you're okay first."

"Aw, didn't think you cared that much."

"I don't," comes the too quick reply, "I just don't want you dying on Dinah’s couch."

"As if-"

"Okay, that's enough." Dinah finally opens her mouth, and even though she'd only meant to stop the beginning of their argument with a neutral tone, her voice still comes out harsher than she would have liked. "Mia, you just go and enjoy your date. I'll take care of Laurel."

The other woman looks uncertain, her eyes flickering between Dinah and Laurel. "Are you sure, Dinah? I can cancel."

"Yeah I'm sure." She offers her a small smile, hoping that will ease Mia's mind, and then moves to kneel by the couch where Laurel’s sitting. "Go enjoy your evening."

Even if she doesn't look  _ that  _ convinced, Mia still agrees to go. She says a quick 'thank you' to Dinah, before spitting a pointed 'you better not die' at Laurel, who simply laughs in return. She then wishes them both a good night and, not soon after, disappears out of sight as the elevator door closes. 

The atmosphere in the apartment becomes tense the second Mia is gone. Dinah's well aware that Laurel's eyes are on her, but she stubbornly refuses to look up from rummaging through the med kit that's laying right next to her on the floor, and she hears Laurel let out a sigh. 

"Are you going to say something or can I expect the silent treatment for the rest of the evening?" 

Dinah looks up then, but ignores Laurel’s remark to focus on what needs to be done. "Can you remove your jacket?"

Laurel raises an eyebrow, a playful smile on her lips as she reaches for the zipper of her Canary suit. "Oh we are skipping the talk and going straight to the angry sex part… can't say I mind."

She lets out a breath through her nose in annoyance. "Laurel…" she nearly growls out because how dare Laurel make jokes  _ like that _ after what happened?

A scoff. "Oh come on, you're overreacting, Dinah. I'm fine." As if to prove her point, Laurel manages to shrug off her jacket and drops it next to her, and Dinah watches with bated breath as Laurel’s hands work on lifting the black tank top she's wearing. A large bruise comes into view at her left side. "See? The suit got most of it."

Without thinking, Dinah lets go of the medical supplies she was holding and her hands move on their accord, fingers gently brushing against the marred skin. She feels Laurel shivering at the touch and when their gazes meet once again, it's like all the anger fades and gives into worry once more.

Dinah’s voice is soft when she speaks again. "Look, I just don't want you making a habit out of this. I know when we're in the field we need to watch each other’s backs but… there's better ways than jumping in front of a bullet."

"If I hadn't, you would have been at the hospital now, D - or worse."

"I know but that could have been you too. You got lucky this time, Laurel, but that doesn't give you a free pass to go out there and play human shield." There's moisture gathering at her eyes but Dinah tries to quickly blink it away, and her next words come out barely above a whisper. "I don't want to lose you, baby."

Laurel flashes her a smile and reaches to pull her closer, and Dinah comes up willingly so their lips can meet in a tender kiss. "You won't," she whispers against Dinah’s lips. "I promise."

  
  


**+1. (Post 8x09)**

The small party at her bar is going at full bloom.

There’s laughter and dancing and the familiar banter she’d missed so much, and this is far from what Dinah had expected to happen when Sara had shown up with the rest of the Legends and some familiar faces she had not seen in months to help defend Star City in the future. With the final battle having been so tough on all of them, Dinah’s not sure how the quiet gathering to relax had turned into a party, but she supposes they’ve all earned some down time after fighting wave after wave of deathstrokes and their goons. 

They’re all sporting all sorts of bruises and scrapes but they’re alive, and that’s all that matters. 

“Be careful, Dinah,” Sara says as she appears by her side, “I think Mick may drink you dry if you don’t keep an eye out.”

Both their gazes fall at the man sitting at the bar and the impressive number of empty beer bottles in front of him, and Dinah’s eyes go wide. She also feels the sudden need to pinch herself at the sight. “How’s he even still conscious?” she finds herself asking out loud and Sara just chuckles in response. 

“That’s Mick Rory for you,” is all she offers as an explanation before she winks and walks away, and Dinah watches her weave through the tables to meet Laurel, who’s leaning against the far wall, safely tucked away from the festivities. 

She had been less than thrilled about having everyone gathering at the bar, and when Dinah tried to ask her about it, she’d deflected with some snarky remark about having filled up her ‘social quota for the whole year’ and gone to a corner to sulk. Dinah is suspicious the real reason is that Laurel has secretly been craving some alone time with her, but of course she would never admit to it - hence why Laurel had put some distance between them and refused to talk to anyone. 

Except Sara, apparently. 

Dinah watches them exchanging a few words and there’s not even a trace of the awkwardness that once had marked all their interactions. Laurel’s shoulders have dropped and there’s actually a hint of a smile on her face, and when she sees them both sharing a laugh, the sight of it warms Dinah’s heart. 

A sudden commotion by her piano makes her avert her eyes to see what’s happening, and she catches Nate there, hitting all the wrong keys and attempting to sing a happy tune while Behrad cheers him on. The entire place erupts in laughter and Dinah finds herself approaching the two men. 

“No offense,” Dinah catches herself saying with a chuckle as the ‘song’ dies down because Nate suddenly forgets the rest of the lyrics, “but maybe you should leave that to the professionals.”

The remark ends up earning her a lot more than two pairs of eyes on her, and then Nate is getting up from the seat and making a big display of gesturing for Dinah to take it. “By all means, my lady,” he says as he bows, “please show us commoners how it’s done.”

There’s not even a chance for her to back away, because suddenly the rest of the bar is cheering her on and Behrad even moves to offer his hand to help her up onto the small stage. Dinah chances a glance towards where Laurel is and finds her watching with an unreadable expression on her face, which clearly morphs into a frown when Dinah - out of politeness - accepts the hand that’s being extended to her. Something about the way Laurel reacted brings about a wave of satisfaction to Dinah, because suddenly she’s faced with the possibility of  _ her girlfriend being jealous  _ and that’s something brand new. 

Her gaze falls on the piano as she takes a seat, and not shortly after her fingers are dancing over the keys with the same old familiarity as always. Nate has moved to lean in front of the piano as she plays, and Dinah chuckles when she catches the absolute expression of awe on his face, that only grows in size the second she opens her mouth and starts to sing. 

As Dinah hits the last note and the entire place erupts in cheers and everyone starts to clap, her first instinct is to chance a quick glance over her shoulder to where Laurel had been standing. She’s still there, deep in conversation with Sara by the looks of it, and Dinah can’t seem to shake the feeling that something is off. But she doesn’t have time to assess the situation properly, not with Nate still standing there talking to her, so she focuses her attention on him instead.

“That. Was. Awesome!” he lets out. “I didn’t know you could play  _ and  _ sing.”

“Yeah, I’m a box full of surprises all right.”

“You sure are.” Nate leans closer and Dinah finds herself raising an eyebrow at him. “Maybe you could, you know, teach me how.”

Dinah opens her mouth to respond, but before she can get the words out a voice sounds behind her. “That was amazing as always,  _ baby _ ,” Laurel says, her hands laying on Dinah’s shoulders not a second after. “And I see you’ve gotten yourself a fan.”

Beside them, Behrad lets out a whistle, and even if Dinah can’t see Laurel’s face, it’s not hard to picture the sneer she’s wearing by how quickly Nate backs away, a million apologies on his lips. She waits until the boys are gone to look up, only to find Laurel eyeing her with all the fake innocence she can muster. “What?” she asks, her voice overly sweet, “I thought I was doing you a favor,  _ babe. _ ”

“Jealousy is not a good look on you, Laurel.” 

She raises an eyebrow. “I’m not jealous.”

“Right, because you calling me ‘baby’ in front of everyone while we’re supposed to be keeping us a secret was just a slip of the tongue.”

Behind her, Laurel shifts until she’s sitting next to Dinah, with one leg at each side of the stool. “What can I say, I don’t like when someone else is drooling all over my girl.” She flashes Dinah a warm smile and pulls her into a quick kiss. “Now, how about you play that song you were playing when I first walked into your bar?”

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This fic was already in the works before Jules did THAT.


End file.
